It’s more profitable for nursing homes to roll the dice with the potential for enforcement, or litigation, than to hire more staff, especially with some penalties being little more than slaps on the wrist.

A former employee of the Cahokia Nursing and Rehabilitation Center alleges she was wrongfully terminated after notifying state officials of incidents of abuse, neglect and improper care and treatments of residents, according to a lawsuit filed in St. Clair County Court.